The Sask. Party will pay more than $800 million for foreign corporations to handle maintenance on just two P3 projects – which New Democrats say is a shocking waste of taxpayer money.

The Regina bypass P3 project includes $680 million in maintenance costs. The Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford P3 contract includes $185 million in maintenance costs.

“These appear to be terrible deals the Sask. Party will reach into families’ pockets to pay for,” said NDP deputy leader Trent Wotherspoon. “I fundamentally disagree with their decision to send jobs to corporations from London and France instead of creating Saskatchewan jobs. And it’s becoming more obvious with the slow leak of details about these P3 rental schemes that taxpayers will be paying far more, far longer.”

Despite very serious concerns about short-staffing in seniors care, the Sask. Party is still cutting – this time, resulting in a specialized dementia unit being shut down, and a seniors care home falling into chaos.

“The staff here are wonderful, but they went and shorted us here in May of this year – shorted our staff. And when they shorted the staff, that’s why they had to open the north doors, where the dementia people are. That’s their home,” said Jim Lawrence, a resident of Ross Payant care home in Assiniboia, near Moose Jaw.

“Now they’ve got such a small staff on at night that it’s hard to get any help if you need it,” said Don Reid, a resident at Ross Payant.

NDP Leader Cam Broten, who raised the seniors care cut in question period on Wednesday, said the Sask. Party has broken their hollow promise to take seniors care seriously.

NDP Leader Cam Broten wants to tackle Saskatchewan's high rate of domestic violence deaths by bringing experts together to review partner homicides and make recommendations on how to prevent future domestic violence deaths.

Saskatchewan has the worst rate of homicides by intimate partners among Canadian provinces, yet it has never held a coroner's inquest or a review of partner-caused deaths. Broten is calling for the establishment of a Domestic Violence Death Review Committee – a step four other provinces have already taken – which would conduct ongoing reviews of domestic violence deaths.

“We don't have to accept the high rate of domestic violence deaths here in Saskatchewan. We can and must do something to prevent these tragic and needless deaths,” said Broten. “We should learn from other provinces by bringing together experts who can review these murders, learn from them, and make recommendations on concrete steps to prevent future deaths.”

NDP bill would require gay-straight alliances where a student requests one

An NDP bill that would require all publicly funded schools to help a student form a gay-straight alliance (GSA) where one is requested took another step forward in the legislative assembly Thursday.

“We’re calling on the government to get on board with this bill – it really is the right thing to do,” said David Forbes, the NDP critic for diversity, equality and human rights. “We know that having a GSA in a school reduces bullying and suicide attempts for both gay and straight students because it really creates a better school environment for everyone. Why the Sask. Party is resisting that is beyond me.”

The bill, The Respect for Diversity – Student Bill of Rights Act, received second reading in the legislature on Thursday, moved by the NDP.